ISO 11338-2:2003

Overview

ISO 11338-2:2003 defines validated laboratory procedures for sample preparation, clean‑up and determination of gas‑ and particle‑phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) collected from stack and waste gases. It complements ISO 11338‑1 (sampling) and describes analytical workflows based on HPLC (reversed‑phase liquid chromatography with fluorescence/UV detection) and GC‑MS, capable of detecting sub‑microgram per cubic metre concentrations depending on the PAH species and sampled flue‑gas volume.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and principle
  • Procedures cover removal of PAH from sampling media, extraction, concentration, clean‑up and instrumental analysis.
  • Particle phase collected on filters; gas phase trapped on adsorbents (e.g. XAD‑2, polyurethane foam).
• Analytical methods
  • HPLC: reversed‑phase C18 columns, programmable fluorescence detector plus UV (229 nm); eluents degassed; use of guard columns.
  • GC‑MS: mass‑selective detection with characteristic ions (annex information).
• Sample handling and storage
  • Store samples protected from light at 0–4 °C (extract within 1 week) or ≤ −15 °C (extract within 1 month). Condensates acidified to pH ≈ 2 may be stored up to 14 days.
• Extraction & concentration
  • Soxhlet or validated alternatives (e.g. accelerated solvent extractor) followed by rotary evaporation and nitrogen blow‑down; solvent clean‑up steps and silica gel chromatography as required.
• Quality control
  • Use of recovery standards (e.g. 2‑ or 6‑methylchrysene), surrogate/internal standards, blanks and performance checks.
• Safety
  • PAHs treated as potential carcinogens-minimize handling of solids, use glove box for weighing, solvent‑resistant gloves, proper waste disposal.
• Supporting annexes
  • UV/fluorescence parameters, PAH properties, characteristic GC‑MS ions, internal standards and method performance data.

Applications and users

Who uses ISO 11338‑2:

• Environmental testing laboratories performing emissions monitoring from power plants, incinerators, industrial boilers and waste‑gas streams.
• Regulatory agencies and compliance programs for air quality and emission limits.
• Industrial environmental teams, consultants and researchers assessing PAH emissions and fate. Practical applications include routine emissions reporting, source apportionment studies and evaluating control technologies.

Related standards

• ISO 11338‑1 - minimum requirements and sampling methods for PAH in stack and waste gases.
• ISO 4225 - vocabulary referenced for terms and definitions.

Keywords: ISO 11338‑2:2003, PAH determination, stationary source emissions, stack gas analysis, sample preparation, HPLC PAH, GC‑MS PAH, Soxhlet extraction, accelerated solvent extractor, emissions monitoring.